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starkvegasdawg
10-28-2017, 04:33 PM
Why do they make an offense have 7 on the LOS? I just don?t see what advantage having 5+ in the backfield gives.
stalkingpoon
10-28-2017, 04:47 PM
Why do they make an offense have 7 on the LOS? I just don?t see what advantage having 5+ in the backfield gives.

It's all about easily telling which 5 are ineligible to go down field for a pass. It helps the defense determine which 5 are ineligible.
TheRef
10-28-2017, 05:22 PM
Why do they make an offense have 7 on the LOS? I just don?t see what advantage having 5+ in the backfield gives.

Players who are on the end of the line of scrimmage are eligible to receive a pass. If you were to only have linemen on the LOS, then you would have 8 people who are eligible to touch the ball. QB, 5 Receivers, 2 tackles.
Mutt the Hoople
10-28-2017, 06:12 PM
Back before 1905, offenses had the flying wedge. Turns out, this formation gave players a huge head start at running towards the line. When 19 college kids were killed one season, President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to ban the game.

They came up with the 7 men on the line rule to keep players from getting a huge head start. They also formed the NCAA and legalized the forward pass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_college_football_season